![]() Colorless and odorless, it has only a single proton at its center with one electron around it. Hydrogen is the first and simplest element on the periodic table. Hydrogen is extremely light which helps the Hyperion XP-1's performance. Public charging stations for electric cars are much more plentiful than hydrogen filling stations A Department of Energy map of publicly accessible hydrogen filling stations shows clusters of dots around major California cities and no dots at all throughout nearly all the rest of the country. Compared to gasoline or electricity, there’s little hydrogen infrastructure in America. The biggest challenge facing hydrogen-powered cars has been fueling them. Other companies haven’t yet created an exciting car that will capture the public’s attention, though, said Kafantaris. Start up truck maker, Nikola, for example, plans to sell hydrogen-powered semis and pickup trucks. Many car companies, including Honda, Toyota, Hyundai and General Motors, have produced hydrogen fuel vehicles for research purposes or for sale in small numbers.īut the technology is starting to gain more support. That, in turn, makes the car more energy efficient so that it can go farther and faster. Also, because hydrogen gas is very light, the overall vehicle weighs much less than one packed with heavy batteries. The XP-1 has much longer range than a battery-powered electric car because compressed hydrogen has much more power per liter than a battery, Hyperion CEO Angelo Kafantaris explained. The options for FCEVS are certainly far more limited than battery EVs, but that may change in the future.The Hyperion XP-1's main purpose is to generate interest in hydrogen power, the company's CEO said. The only other hydrogen-fueled EV out right now is the Hyundai Nexo, which has been going strong since its debut in December 2018. ![]() On the other hand, Toyota released its mid-size sedan, the Mirai, in December 2021 with a starting price of $49,500 and is now up to the 2023 edition. Honda actually had a previous hydrogen-powered EV on the road called the Clarity, but that car was discontinued in 2021. Honda says its hydrogen-powered CR-V is due to hit the streets in 2024, but there are already some FCEVs on the market. ![]() For example, the Toyota Mirai’s fuel tanks can absorb five times the crash energy of steel and have sensors that can stop the flow of hydrogen. However, existing FCEVs have their hydrogen fuel tanks rigorously tested. There are some concerns about using hydrogen since it’s a flammable gas, making it harder to store. Hydrogen is also more expensive to refuel with compared to traditional gasoline, according to the California Hydrogen Business Council. Hydrogen-powered EVs are generally harder to produce than battery EVs since the technology behind them is a bit more complex. Department of Energy’s map, the majority of these hydrogen refueling stations are located in California, with some scattered about in Washington state and Hawaii. The scarcity of hydrogen refueling stations would be the most glaring downside. With those advantages come some notable disadvantages. Toyota WHAT ARE THE DOWNSIDES TO HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS? You also won’t have to wait a half-hour to fuel up your FCEV since you can fill up on hydrogen in just a few minutes.įueling up the Toyota Mirai only takes a few minutes. You’ll get less range anxiety with FCEVs since they usually travel for longer distances due to hydrogen fuel cells being able to store more energy than batteries. That method provides a few upsides, like not having to rely on a bulky battery pack that weighs the EV down and reduces range. The hydrogen fuel cells don’t act like power storage like what’s seen with battery cells, using a chemical reaction to generate electricity instead. Instead of a bulky battery pack providing electricity to power the EV, a fuel cell EV (FCEV) uses its hydrogen-filled cells to produce electricity to run the car. WHY HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS MIGHT BE BETTER THAN BATTERY EVSĪ vehicle that runs on hydrogen fuel cells is still fully electric like its battery-powered counterparts, but the mechanism that powers them is different. So, what makes Honda so keen on getting its hydrogen alternatives out in the real world? Here’s what you need to know. That’s big news considering the CR-V is one of the best-selling compact SUVs in the U.S. Though hydrogen fuel cells are far less popular than battery-powered EVs (BEVs), the tech is winning support from automakers like Honda, which recently announced plans to make a hydrogen version of the Honda CR-V starting in 2024. There is an alternative, however, and it all starts with hydrogen. When you’re looking at fully electric cars, you’re most likely looking at one that’s battery-powered. ![]()
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